This invention relates to several new pyruvate compounds and methods of treating (i) ischemia in mammalian hearts, lungs, veins, arteries and other organs or tissues, (ii) accelerating ethanol oxidation/preventing acute toxic effects of ethanol on the liver, and (iii) other recognized uses of pyruvates including, but not limited to, treating of secondary effects of diabetes, lowering of cholesterol and lipid levels, as a nutrition source which can provide as much as 100% of caloric requirements and to treat injured organs requiring a readily accessible energy source.